Genealogy buffs! Now you can take a look at Missouri death certificates covering 1910 to 1957 — that’s over 2 million certificates available at http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/ . Access is free.

The index is searchable by first and last name, county, and year of death. My search for Smith found 23,878 results. Results are presented in a table that shows name, date of death, county, city (there’s not always a city) and certificate number. There’s also a link to an image of the death certificate itself. These are good-quality images but some of the handwriting makes it a tough read.

If you want more Missouri records, there’s a pre-1910 database at http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/birthdeath/ , and a FAQ about the Missouri death certificate project at http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/birthdeath/deathFAQ.asp .